OBJECTIVETo study the effect of pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome (PIH) on complications in very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants.

METHODSThe VLBW preterm infants were enrolled as research subjects, and according to the presence or absence of PIH in their mothers, they were divided into PIH group and non- PIH group. The incidence of major complications and length of hospital stay were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences between the two groups in gestational age, birth weight, sex, incidence rate of maternal diabetes, and use of antepartum hormone. The PIH group had a significantly higher rate of birth of small-for-gestational-age infants than the non-PIH group. The PIH group had a significantly lower incidence rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) than the non-PIH group, while there were no significant differences between the two groups in the incidence rates of apnea of prematurity, necrotizing enterocolitis, retinopathy of prematurity, and intraventricular hemorrhage-periventricular leukomalacia, and the length of hospital stay. There was no significant difference in the incidence rate of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome between the two groups, but the PIH group had a significantly lower proportion of infants who used pulmonary surfactant than the non-PIH group.

CONCLUSIONSPIH can alleviate respiratory complications and reduce the use of pulmonary surfactant and the incidence rate of BPD in preterm infants.